Russian Skaters Say They Were Ripped

LAS VEGAS (CN) – Twelve performers say the boss of the Moscow Ice Circus, who brought them to the United States, owes them for 225 shows, stiffed them for overtime, and withheld their pay for bogus reasons such as gaining weight. They sued Sergey Ryshkoff’s Moscow Ice Circus and affiliates in Federal Court.

The skaters say Ryshkoff, of Las Vegas, formed the Moscow Ice Circus and arranged work visas for all 12 of them, promising to pay each of them $60 to $120 per 90-minute show, and that Ryshkoff told the same thing to U.S. immigration officials. But Ryshkoff owes them for 225 shows, stiffed them for overtime, didn’t pay them at all for building and tearing down the show or for handing out fliers to promote the show. They say management of the show was transferred at some point to co-defendants Ice Show Corp., and Ice Mega Show Corp., whose bosses worked with and knew Ryshkoff and didn’t deem it necessary to pay them, either. They also sued the Riviera Hotel and Casino. The ice acrobats seek wages due, costs and damages. They are represented by Leon Greenberg.